Sen. Fasano Again Asks Gov. Malloy for Reasoning Behind Death Penalty Stance

Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) today sent a FOI request letter (below and attached) to Governor Malloy seeking information surrounding the reasoning behind his death penalty repeal stance in 2012.

August 26, 2015

Governor Dannel P. Malloy
Office of the Governor
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106

Dear Governor Malloy:

I have yet to receive a response from you concerning my Aug. 17 letter in which I asked you to share the legal advice that supported your 2012 position that banning future executions would not spare the 11 inmates then on death row from being executed. This request merits a response from you. These questions deserve answers, even though your spokesman has dismissed them.

Therefore, I would like to formally request, pursuant to Connecticut general statutes sec. 1-200 et seq, that you provide me with copies of all communication related to any and all advice, including but not limited to legal advice, surrounding your assurances that the repeal legislation guaranteed the 11 inmates already on death row would be put to death.

Under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information laws I ask that you provide me with copies of all communication between you and your staff attorneys, as well as any communication you or your office had with any outside individuals regarding advice related to the death penalty repeal legislation.

I am sure that you will not invoke any attorney client privilege that would impede the release of these documents, because all advice must have supported the guarantees you made in 2012. Your repeated and strongly worded assurances, to victims’ families as well as to lawmakers, that the death penalty repeal legislation would only ever be prospective lead me to assume that you have equally strong legal advice backing up your guarantees, otherwise you would have never spoken with such confidence.

I have attached my Aug. 17 letter, and I look forward to your response and corresponding documents.

Sincerely,
Len Fasano